| 11 FEB 2011 at 8:03am |
tomboCenturion
Posts : 37
Joined: 30 JUL 2007
Status : Offline | Ron,
Can we get the MDE update soon?
Ive set aside playing until released.
thanks much!
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| 11 FEB 2011 at 8:55am |
KutnezovCenturion
Posts : 65
Joined: 25 MAY 2003
Status : Offline | It is possible to add neutral countries in the option cards?
Some countries as Spain (axis) or Turkey (both sides) could be activated like in the old Rise and decline of the Third Reich boardgame.
It could be interesting if the axis can launch Operation Felix in order to take Gibraltar and close the mediterranean sea.
I know that it means to extend the map to the west a bit, but it could be fun for big campaign scenarios
Emilio
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| 11 FEB 2011 at 6:56pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Tombo,
Thank you for reminding me to get the MDE patch out. Are the naval landings the bug that has caused you to set it aside for now? The other items on my list are very minor except for that one.
Kutnezov,
You have an interesting idea there. The AGW map is being extended to the north and east for WWII-E, and a small extension to the west would get the rest of Spain and Gibraltor. The neutral countries in AGW are Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and Turkey. I could add terrain to those hexes, and get some interesting "what-ifs" out of it. Thank you. Let me think some more about this . . .
Ron
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| 13 FEB 2011 at 7:04am |
tomboCenturion
Posts : 37
Joined: 30 JUL 2007
Status : Offline | Ron,
for me, the FOW not working. With FOW "ON", i still see enemy units info during their move phase. Not sure if thats by design. (i was playing scn 4, 5). also i dont like seeing all the enemys units in the reports w/FOW on.
I like the reports addition, but i cant link back to the battles and see affected units. I have to try to figure it out using unit IDs and hex coord, etc. I like the old way of having battle marker from the AIs turn.
With UI...i wish there was a auto-scroll at most zoomed in level as all commands have to be at that level. Commands used to be at imid level also, thats changed from AGW and makes air operations more involved.
in the reports, can u highlight the units involved (say red print) as the display text is very small and my eyes not so good
also i still like the UI and features provided with AGW...i find that allows
more info at less clicks, but thats just my 2cents.
thanks and ready to start again. Cheers!
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| 13 FEB 2011 at 4:31pm |
Agent SmithCenturion
Posts : 269
Joined: 17 JAN 2006
Status : Offline | +1 Tombo
[ul]The red battle chit from AGW, made reporting clearer.And mid level zoom commands would be a bonus. [/ul]
“We can’t make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had.”
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| 13 FEB 2011 at 7:50pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Now this is surprising! The combat report gives all of the information about every battle, whereas the AGW battle marker only gave attack, defense, die roll and if a retreat occurred. The reports lists that plus the units on the attack and defense.
Are you looking for a highlight of the units that were involved in the last battle?
Are you looking for botrh report and red battle chit on the map (as in AGW)?
Thanks for your comments,
Ron
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| 14 FEB 2011 at 1:23am |
Agent SmithCenturion
Posts : 269
Joined: 17 JAN 2006
Status : Offline | Both would be nice.
Yes the reports give significantly more information, (good).
But after the A.I. turn, it is much simpler to scan the map for the red marker, to see where the action for that phase had taken place.
Perhaps the tag/ chit/ highlighted unit(?) could be hyperlinked to the relevant battle report.
“We can’t make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had.”
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| 14 FEB 2011 at 5:52pm |
tomboCenturion
Posts : 37
Joined: 30 JUL 2007
Status : Offline | Yes...for both as Agent says.
Forgive me, but I'll push this one level more. I would like to click on the battle chit or report and see the Detailed Battle Results for AIs turn, similar to human. I can then see what really happened. The game experience would be complete.
I like the additions MDE brings (reports,etc) but i also just dont like losing what i had before (right click orders, icons, mid level map flexibility, etc).
Ive been playing on/off your great games since first release of RGW and will always continue.
cheers
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| 14 FEB 2011 at 6:38pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Thanks Agent Smith and tombo. I understand now. I have put your comments into my list of potential mods for WWII-Europe. I'll take a look at putting them into MDE also. Some of them are more game design and less patch like, and may get delayed until I get the design/code for WWII-E. Then I could retrofit.
At some point in time, I plan to initiate a thread on the user interface. It will probably be a long thread, as I have lots of questions. In general, do you prefer the AGW interface or the MDE interface? Or is it a combination of both that would be best? The last patch put into AGW gave it a command panel like display.
Ron
Ron
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| 18 FEB 2011 at 5:32pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | The plans for this weekend are to work on the Finland and Northern Russia sections of the map. I also want to look at the proposed idea of extending the WWIIE map west to cover more of Spain, and Gibraltor.
I am looking forward to completing these maps, and getting to the coding. I also have a rather large (and somewhat boring) conversion of the RGW and AGW scenarios to the WWIIE text files.
Ron
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| 19 FEB 2011 at 4:36pm |
5th HORSEMANCommander
Posts : 1464
Joined: 16 NOV 2005
Status : Offline | Any chance we users could help in reformatting the scenario files?
I'd be willing too drudge along, depending on the necessities.
And the angels, terrible and without pity, carry savage weapons, and their torture is unmerciful.
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| 19 FEB 2011 at 9:44pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Had not thought of that, but yes. All you need is Notepad, and a template that I will create.
When the time comes, I'll ask for volunteers.
Thanks,
Ron
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| 22 FEB 2011 at 6:46pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Just a quick status on WWIIE development.
1. Completed the maps of Norway and Finland, and moved into Northern Russia. Currently working the area between Murmansk and Archangel.
2. Decided to include a dotted line to reflect the German planned line to stop per Fuhrer Directive ("establish a defensive line against Asiatic Russia from a line running from the Volga River to Archangel"). From there, the plan was to have the Luftwaffe bomb the Ural Mountain industy.
3. Researched the addition of map area containing the rest of Spain and Gibraltor. Decided to include the area. Also decided to include Turkey, so there are some interesting "what-if" scenarios that will be available.
Ron
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| 23 FEB 2011 at 3:15am |
Agent SmithCenturion
Posts : 269
Joined: 17 JAN 2006
Status : Offline | [size="1"]The last patch put into AGW gave it a command panel like display.
Ron,
Could you elaborate on this?
Aside from the opening scenario 'radio button' list dialog box, I don't see much resemblance to the "command panel like display".
My AGW runs from contextual right-click, and standard top menus.
[size="1"](Which I must say I adore. When I fire up a game I want to see as many playable hexes as possible, not charts, scroll bars and other obnoxious eye-candy. To quote Mies van der Rohe, less is (definitely) more)
Now I'm thinking I may have missed a significant AGW patch upgrade.
regards
Agent
“We can’t make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had.”
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| 23 FEB 2011 at 7:22pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Agent,
I, too, like the AGW user interface. But I kept hearing rumbling that some wargamers did not. AGW interface was built to have the least number of mouse clicks. The AGW command panel that I referred to is the stack unit display that was added as part of patch 1.2. Nothing more has been done or released on AGW. Right click to select op, then select hex, select unit, and finally select destination hex. 3 clicks after the initial op selection for a number of ops of that same type.
I like the MDE UI also. For MDE, we completely re-designed the UI so that the player is presented with the options, and MDE does as much of the mouse movement as possible. Select hex, select unit, select operation, and select destination hex. Each of these four steps are done presenting the valid (and only the valid) options to the player for selection, with the least mouse movement. The AGW stack display code was used in MDE as part of the select unit code. 4 clicks for every op.
Sorry to run on. I will have to make some decisions on the UI for WWIIE in the coming months, and this is one of them.
BTW, for RGW, we used the right click to select the op method. We then used drag and drop to the destination hex. Least number of mouse clicks (2 after selection of op). I have code for all three methods. Which one should I use for WWIIE?
Thanks for listening, and thanks in advance for comments.
Ron
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| 23 FEB 2011 at 8:34pm |
tomboCenturion
Posts : 37
Joined: 30 JUL 2007
Status : Offline | I vote for the AGW interface with least amount of clicks for actions.
I also would add the mini map from MDE. Plus add new auto scroll feature at most zoomed-in level at min.
I like the UI of AGW with the icons at toolbar for quick selection of "show HQs", etc. I dont like the pull down menu or memorize quick key locations.
Players that complained, did not spend enough time with the AGW interface to appreciate it. It works well.
The MDE mouse wheel zoom approach does seem awkward to use at times (for navigation around map).
thanks for all work!
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| 24 FEB 2011 at 10:34pm |
Agent SmithCenturion
Posts : 269
Joined: 17 JAN 2006
Status : Offline | I still favour AGW. While the panel in MDE is functional and clear, it occasionally hides when it shouldn't. I know clicking escape or insert will bring it back, but it gets a little fussy.
(I never bought RGW, sorry), but it seems AGW sits literally in the middle of possible interface methods. AGW lacked autoscroll, but at least units could still be ordered and moved from any zoom level. The interface of contextual menus also makes it easier to play on a netbook, (small screen).
Many games at the moment seem to be going for a hold the right mouse button down for map panning functions, which makes navigation nice and simple. Perhaps this could be incorporated, with contextual menus being brought up with a control-left click combo instead?
“We can’t make you do anything, but we can make you wish you had.”
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| 25 FEB 2011 at 5:20pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Thank you, Agent. Those two ideas went directly into my notebook. I like the hold right click to pan concept. Windows offers menu selection at the mouse cursor (method was used to select op). One thing I have been considering is to have a "hot spot" on the unit that would allow you to select any unit in the stack. It would have to be on the lower right hand corner so you could see it and click on it. So one potential sequence might be:
1. right click, then select op from displayed menu
2. left click down on unit (hot spot) in the stack. Game marks valid destination hexes.
3. left click release on the destination hex (completes the drag and drop op)
Two mouse clicks. Your eyes would never move from the unit and map area. Additionally, hold right click to pan map in any direction. Ops could be done from low and mid level.
This is easily done.
Ron
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| 25 FEB 2011 at 5:27pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Plan of attack for the weekend on WWIIE:
1. Finish paper maps of Northern Russia (I am now in the White Sea area).
2. Start the middle east area including Turkey. This will allow some what-if scenarios.
3. Time permitting, start the Spain/Gibraltor map area.
I may be able to speed up development of WWIIE, depending on whether there is a Government furlough starting March 5th. If so, I will go to daily status of the development effort.
Ron
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| 26 FEB 2011 at 10:16am |
tomboCenturion
Posts : 37
Joined: 30 JUL 2007
Status : Offline | Ron,
For MDE and future, can u add from AGW the "stack display remains open screen until player closes....."
It makes assigning the aircraft and naval units easy. Right now, we have to click each AC and assign through the panel, then start over again for next AC unit.
thanks.
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| 26 FEB 2011 at 11:00am |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | So maybe a strip along the top, right or left side of the screen that displays unit stacks, and can be closed by the player? That is easily done. Do you select units from that strip, or is it just used to display units in a stack? If used for selection, then we are back to a "Command panel", which you were advocating we remove.
Appreciate your comments. Just trying to fully understand.
Ron
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| 26 FEB 2011 at 12:29pm |
tomboCenturion
Posts : 37
Joined: 30 JUL 2007
Status : Offline | Selection...
I think still want to keep/use the Comm panel but panel stays open to allow me to pick next AC (or ship) in that space (for assignment) after the first is moved.
I dont want to remove anything, just enhance some UI features for flexibilty.
Thanks again for everything.
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| 28 FEB 2011 at 5:59pm |
Ron DockalCenturion
Posts : 532
Joined: 8 MAY 2003
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | Just a quick note on WWIIE status for the past weekend. I spent much of the weekend working on the paper map of area of Northern Russia from the White Sea to the Urals to Kirov. I completed that area, and have only a few strips of map area left before completing Russia. Was unable to look at Turkey or Spain as I had hoped. Even so, I am way ahead of schedule. I had planned for a much greater length of time to develop the paper maps (6 months), and it has been 3 months since I started.
Ron
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| 2 MAR 2011 at 10:18am |
stephen_gray98Centurion
Posts : 16
Joined: 28 NOV 2010
Status : Online | Do you have any idea on an approximate price for the game ? I need to put aside some cash for when it is out !
SPG
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